How to add text and copyright name on a video taken on a smartphone?

To write text on video, you should use external app. Kinemaster is the best app to do. But it costs around Rs.300 per month. Free version is also available, but copyright text of "made with Kinemaster" will also appear if you use the free version. So it is better to use paid version. Simply download it from Google Play store and upgrade it to paid version. Then go to new project in Kinemaster and select aspect ratio 16:9 if you would like to edit horizontal video. For vertical video, you should select 9:16 aspect ratio. Now kinemaster will pull up the folder from your phone and you have to select the appropriate folder to locate your video file and select it. Then click on the tick mark on the top right corner. Now click on layer option and select there text option. Now write the text you want and click ok. Then you can move the text anywhere on the screen . After placing your text in appropriate place in your video, select blending option and reduce the Opacity below 50% or whatever you want. This will blend your text into video. Then click on tick mark. Finally click on share icon and select export button. Your video will be exported to your phone with a folder called Export. That's all. Now you can use your video with copyrighted text.

Strictly speaking copyright means we should register our work with the copyright authorities in our country but that very few people are following. Most of us are writing a copyright mention in form of a text or words like say '© Umesh' in our pictures or videos.

So, what you require is a video editor in which you can use the edit mode to add the text or logo or your own way of writing some mention of copyright words alerting the people who hack or copy other's data or content. There are many video editor apps available for this purpose and some of them are free while some have premium versions charging a fee for their use.

Some of the popular and common application where such video editing can be performed are KineMaster, AVS Video Editor, Cyberlink PowerDirector, Adobe Premiere Rush, Magisto, VivaVideo, WeVideo, VideoPad Video Editor, Animation Desk, Animoto etc. Each application would have its own way of doing it but there are similarities of the menu items and once you install these program they are very interactive and guide you to do your work effectively.

When you install any of these apps in your mobile and use it then a menu would come on the side of the screen. In most of them you would see a text icon 'T' and clicking this would allow you to write on the screen your intended copyright mention. Though it is not meant for strictly copyright purposes but people use it in that fashion also. This facility in these apps is basically to write text in a text box in a video. Anyway in this case because you are mentioning a copyright sign and alert wordings so this would be visible to user and he would refrain from copying it.

If you would like to watermark or put copyright detail etc. on your video before uploading it to YouTube platform etc. then you could find few free 'video editing' app in Playstore or Apple store.

Initially you can try the free app that helps you to use five to ten videos without their app 'logo' or 'brand' name. It will obviously add their brand name after that count, so, you can time being use it as a trial version for one or five videos for the same purpose, without paying any money.

Also, before downloading the app from Google Play store for Android phone users or Apple store for iPhone users, make sure to check each app review from the users who already downloaded it and used it. You could find the star level or numbers of downloads to know the overall review and app authentication, as few app is actually harmful, that review will be there itself.

So, you can try this method and remember, to add your watermark or logo etc. you need to use 'Text' logo option from the app to add letters or numbers etc. and it will guide you once you go through there. You can check certain app's review online too on how to use it effectively.

If you have apps like InShot or Filmora Go then you can upgrade to the PRO version of those apps. And that lets you use your own name, logo and the year for the video as copyright. Do note that if you have used someone else's video and added your copyright then that does not apply. I have used the Filmora Go for adding the copyright credits and it has worked out for me.